OPEN POST 2020.

[legalized]

【my ❝CALL ME OUT❞ post】
get my ass in gear.

♛ here is my muselist. ♛ post "calling" one of them out — you can do so by putting their name in the subject line! ♛ can be informal/formal/comment spam/crosscanon/explicit/whatever tickles your fancy! ♛ feel free to make up a scenario at the start, or wait to see where things go. meme code.

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[wraithes]

[ it really doesn’t take so long, to put on a dress. it takes little to no effort at all. but most of the time spent in the bathroom is actually spent brushing out her hair, tucking a flower or two in before she frowns at herself in the mirror.

she’s not sure why she picked tonight, to try this. dressing up for the sake of it. but it feels right, and exciting, even. at least to try. and inej knows Kaz enough by now that she’s certain he’ll love it. she’s noticed, by now, that he really likes being able to see and touch her legs.

at his knock, though, inej rolls her eyes. how impatient. but she draws in a breath, letting it out in a smile as she opens the door, arching her eyebrows slightly. ]

No.

[ mildly, amused. ]

I was waiting on you.

[ketterdamn]

[ As always, he takes in her expression first—her arched brows telling him exactly how she feels. Of course, her instinct is exactly right because once he actually registers what she's wearing, his eyes go wide in surprise.

Really, it's a devastating combination. The flowers carefully placed in her hair, the modest peek of her legs, the cut of the top showing off her arms. Stunned, he doesn't have anything to say at first, all logic and wit going directly out the window, replaced with something along the lines of wow, pretty. Which is exceedingly dumb sounding.

What comes out isn't much better. ]

Uh. [ Seriously, not a great start. ] You're amazing.

[ Wait. ] I mean, you look. Amazing.

[ what are words anyway??? ]

[wraithes]

[ the laugh escapes before she can stop it, a hand coming to her mouth, amused. it’s not often kaz brekker is speechless. she thoroughly enjoys when it’s her fault that he is. ]

I got it in Ravka.

[ warmly, as she smooths the skirt once before looking back up at him, eyes bright in amusement. ]

But I think you are amazing, too.

[ what a dork. and she reaches out her hands, smile bright. ]

Dinner?

[ketterdamn]

[ Oh, Ghezen. This is too much. He was already reeling from her being in a dress, especially one cut so closely, but the laugh just tops it off. It doesn't matter if she's laughing at his—likely very dumb—expression. He feels a blush color his cheeks and the tips of his ears, giving her a grin that comes close to sheepish. ]

Just a sec. [ Kaz takes her hand, tugging her away from the doorway and holding their linked hands aloft so she could turn. Like a princess, showing off. ]

[wraithes]

[ she blinks at being tugged forward, but the momentary confusion is met with another laugh, as she obligingly spins in a slow circle, the skirt falling back against her legs as she stills.

balance perfect, of course. ]

Still like it?

[ her tone teasing, now that he’s seen the dress from every angle. ]

I could go change, if you’d like something else.

[ketterdamn]

[ She does a little spin, the skirt flaring out momentarily and then resettling. He does get the full effect, which is what he wanted, but he also gets her to smile. And perhaps a better glimpse at her legs as she turns.

How he's going to sit through dinner with this knowledge is really the question of the century. ]

Of course. [ As if he could hate it??? ] This— this really does look good on you.

[ He almost isn't sure where to look. His gaze does end up on her face as he pulls her a little closer. ] And I might have some ideas.

[wraithes]

[ he tugs her closer, and inej grins a little before looping her arms lazily around his waist, resting his chin against his chest to look up at him, amused.

she doesn't often get dressed up. and really, this isn't all that fancy. but it's warm outside, and she sort of likes the idea of wearing something different to dinner. odds are, it will just be them. inej hasn't really seen a lot of other people in the hotel they're staying at. ]

Ideas on what?

[ wryly, watching his face, scanning his expression in a heartbeat. ]

How to miss our dinner reservation?

[ she recognizes that look on his face, the one that says "i could be responsible but i'm going to deliberately choose not to be." ]

[ketterdamn]

[ It's always endearing when she does this. And he likes having her pressed close, especially when she's as relaxed as she is now. He sets a hand on her waist and slides it to her hip, noting the smoothness of the fabric. ]

Maybe I want to eat something else.

[ His face lights up with a grin, though they really should go to dinner. After all, she went through this trouble. This place doesn't have too many people around either, which means it might be more comfortable to get through a meal without wanting to cover up.

(Just another thing he wishes he could take out on Heleen). ]

[wraithes]

[ she arches her eyebrows a little, at his comment, but it's really the grin that causes her to buy in. it's a rare thing, kaz grinning. inej is pretty sure she's the only person who sees it on a quasi-regular basis. it fills her with a warmth that's indescribable, and she returns his grin with a slight one of her own. ]

Do you.

[ amused, remaining where she is, her chin still resting against his chest, her hands resting comfortably along his back. ]

There might be another restaurant down the road, if you want something different.

[ her tone is very obviously teasing. ]

[ketterdamn]

Not exactly what I had in mind.

[ Though he's aware she's caught on. And is clearly teasing. ]

Maybe we should have dinner. [ He says, a bit thoughtful, switching gears. Mischief still lights his dark eyes when he keeps going. ] Then you can be dessert.

[ Despite the bold words, there is a bit of color at the tips of his ears. This whole being forward thing is a work in progress. Even if he's pretty sure he's heard and said worse on a regular basis in the Barrel.

It's just. Different with her. ]

[wraithes]

Hmmm . . .

[ she hums to herself in thought, considering her options, lightly running her fingers along his back as she thinks (or at least, pretends to) about his proposition.

it's always been funny to her, that he gets so nervous in these conversations with her. mostly because she doesn't see kaz as a nervous person, at all. he's very confident, and arrogant, and charming (when he wants to be), so to see any hint of nervousness is a type of vulnerability that she jealously guards to herself.

still. he did ask her something. (sort of.) so: ]

I think that sounds like the beginning of a relaxing night.

[ warmly, before she shifts to stand on her toes so she could give him a brief kiss, lingering only for a moment before she unloops her arms from his waist. ]

But I need to find my shoes, before we go to dinner.

[ shoes won't be necessary for dessert, obviously, but she's pretty sure they're needed for dinner. ]

[ketterdamn]

[ It's very tempting to skip dinner once she's agreed to the whole idea. But sometimes waiting made things all the better. While he's surprisingly impatient in wanting to shower Inej with affection, he does know how to rein it in. Mostly.

So he lets her go, reluctantly as always, straightening his jacket. ]

By the corner of the bed, on your side. [ He does try to keep tabs on where shoes land. They could get in the way so easily. ] Unless you've ones to match the dress I don't know about.

[wraithes]

I do have different shoes.

[ she says with a slight grin, though she does cross over to her side of the bed, ducking down to rifle through her bag before finding a modest pair of wedges, which she slips into. they do, indeed, match the dress, and once she’s done with that, she comes back over to thread her fingers through his, smile bright. ]

Ready.

[ and another inch taller!!! small victories are small. ]

[ketterdamn]

[ Oh no, she's gone and gotten an entire outfit together. He already appreciated the fact that she'd gone out of her way for the dress—it had to be specifically tailored, she was so tiny—and done her hair up. The shoes were just a final touch.

And honestly, they're very cute, in addition to throwing him off a bit. She's taller in them and he has to adjust to the slight visible difference. He takes the hand she offers and leads them out of the room, taking care to lock the door behind them. This place is small and unlikely to have much thievery, but habits are habits.

Dinner, once they're settled, is quiet and cozy. There's two other tables of people, one with a businessman who is engrossed in a paper, the other of a small family with a remarkably well-behaved five year old. One other patron sits at the end of the cared for bar, nursing a drink and staring off wistfully as the bartender dries glasses.

Their waitress, as he finally manages to catch on near the middle of dinner, has been flirting with him from the word go. Which is a phenomenon that continues to leave him baffled. And also prompts him to kiss the backs of Inej's fingers after one of her quiet and amusing comments. Just to get the point across, for once, despite neither of them being particularly fond of public displays. At least it seems to have the desired effect: their waitress is a bit more demure next time she comes over. ]

I thought maybe that wouldn't happen this time around.

[ After all, Inej is clearly all dressed up and they're here together. Shouldn't that be obvious? ]

[wraithes]

[ inej watches, with much amusement, as the waitress does her best. and kaz, as always, is blissfully oblivious, despite it being very obvious. and inej has her chin in her hand, as their waitress refills their respective glasses and asks kaz if he needs anything else, but makes sure to add sweetheart to the end of it.

that, it seems, is where kaz figured it out. ]

Mm, well.

[ she says, her chin still in her hand as she watches him, a slow grin appearing. it never bothers her when this happens, because most of the time, kaz and inej truly just look like they're talking. tonight, they seem to be very clearly on a date, but even then, inej could just be the type of woman to dress up for the sake of dressing up.

( she isn't, but that waitress doesn't know that. )

it usually makes her evening when it does happen, though, because she has the opportunity to tease him on something relatively harmless. ]

I suppose you can't help being irresistible, sweetheart.

[ketterdamn]

[ Any time this happens, he doesn't know until it's over. And every time, he's mildly weirded out that it happened at all. It is, perhaps, a byproduct of ignoring anyone who seemed remotely flirtatious. Or maybe just because he'd always had his focus elsewhere. Dalliances had never crossed his mind, considering his issues with touch, and a relationship—even one overnight—had felt too risky even if he could get past someone touching him. Too easy for someone to get a knife between his ribs as well. It hadn't been worth the trouble.

Of course, now he seems to be paying for it. At least this time he caught on before Inej had to tell him.

But only because being called sweetheart had been such an obvious thing. It had also thrown him completely, leaving him blinking for a half second before he recovered enough to answer. People out this way didn't know who he was, which is mostly a relief. It also gives him an entirely new perspective on how he's perceived.

Which is apparently rich and cute, only one of those things he cares to attribute to himself. Unfortunately, Inej is having a time of it as usual, her chin propped up in her hand, and he feels a small flush in his cheeks when she repeats the pet name. ]

Stop that. I got it this time.

[wraithes]

Did you?

[ she's amused, before inej decides to scoot her chair around a little. they're tucked in a quiet corner of the restaurant, away from most people, which allows them to people watch. but as she shifts her chair closer to sit more next to him, rather than across, she's close enough to gently brush her lips against his cheek. ]

You should relax and enjoy your dinner.

[ she says, running a finger along his arm before resettling in her chair, adjusting her place setting so she can still eat and enjoy his company. ]

But you are right, sweetheart . . . hm, I'm not sure that fits you very well. [ in terms of the pet name department, as she eyes him critically, picking up her glass to take a sip of her wine. ] Maybe she will change it to honey, that sounds a little closer, don't you think?

[ she'll torment him until the end of days, this is his new lot in life, now. ]

[ketterdamn]

[ The initial fluster has started to wear off and he's glad they're in the corner so no one is really paying them much mind. He also can't say he's against her scooting her chair closer, a flicker of a smile turning his mouth up when she brushes a kiss to his cheek. There's even a low thrill, as she touches his arm. It's not improper, not in the least, but it is decidedly more than they usually get into with other people around. ]

Honey? [ He sounds scandalized, shooting her an incredulous look. ] I'm not some sweet thing in a jar.

[ Slightly accusatory: ] You're having too much fun with this.

[wraithes]

[ oh, he's properly bothered, now, and inej grins over the rim of her glass, eyes bright with mischief.

she does not confirm or deny that she's having fun. instead: ]

You are right, honey is no good.

[ in something of a resigned tone, as she takes another sip of her drink. but before she can say anything else, the waitress returns to drop off their first round of food, and inej offers the woman a warm smile before saying: ]

Would you mind bringing a pitcher of water? It's a little dry in here.

[ and she offers kaz the same warm, genuine smile, eyes bright, tone completely genuine: ]

Isn't that right, dumpling?

[ xo ]

[ketterdamn]

[ She agrees all to easily and judging from the look in her eyes, he knows he isn't off the hook anytime soon. Then again, it isn't often she finds something that gets under his skin that's relatively benign. As much as this is emotionally painful and nigh embarrassing.

Besides, he's in a good mood. Even if she seems intent on making him blush every color of pink. There's also the fact that he enjoys—probably too much—her expression of mischief.

He's about to agree to the request for water, swallowing his sip of wine, when she calls him yet another ridiculous name, this one much worse than the previous ones. There's certainly color high on his cheeks and ears, even as he nods his answer and the waitress goes her way. ]

That is ridiculous, I'm not something to eat!

[ Ah. Phrasing. ]

[wraithes]

[ her grin should be illegal, honestly, as he turns scarlet and then quickly turns on her with indignation. positively scandalized. the horror. ]

I thought that was our plan this evening.

[ mildly, as she sips from her glass. ]

Or do you have a change of heart, my love?

[ she can keep going, she's got all night, baby. ]

[ketterdamn]

[ At the moment, he's torn. Because her smile is so bright and he can't even pretend to be upset with her, not even if her amusement is at his expense.

She's also being particularly merciless. ]

Well, I— yes. [ Words, what are they? He's momentarily distracted by the reminder, shifting in his seat when he thinks about the hem of her dress brushing against her legs. ] I still object to dumpling.

[ He takes a sip of his wine, trying to find some zen. ] I can't take it seriously. How do people take it seriously?

[wraithes]

[ oh, now he's pouting. and her expression softens (just a little, because he's still being ridiculous) before she leans over to gently brush her lips against his temple, amused. ]

What about darling?

[ she asks, setting her glass down, expression fond (if a bit amused, because he's pouting).

-- it's also a trap, because he calls her darling all the time (even if just in private), but inej is fairly certain he doesn't even realize it's the same damn thing as what he's currently throwing a fit over now. ]

[ketterdamn]

[ He is not pouting. He is drawing the line at some ridiculousness.

(Which includes pouting. A bit.) ]

I like that one. [ And not just because he occasionally uses it. A little color comes back to his face as he keeps going, twirling his fork idly in his noodles. ] It seems more sincere than being compared to food.

[ And since this is turning out to be honesty hour: ] I like when you say that; my love.

[ The look he finally gives her is approaching shy. Admitting this is hard. But he does like being considered hers. ]

[wraithes]

[ ah, he's taken it too seriously. and inej watches him for a long moment, waiting for him to turn to look at her before she leans over to kiss him, the movement gentle, but purposeful.

it's easy, to be affectionate hidden away in the corner, anyway. ]

You are my love.

[ quietly, shifting back into her seat to turn her attention to her own dinner. ]

Even when you take everything too seriously. [ and she pauses, cutting into her fish, before she adds: ] Pumpkin.

[ he's such a dweeb. ]